Maximilian von Wimpffen

Maximilian Alexander Freiherr von Wimpffen ( born February 19, 1770 in Münster, † August 29, 1854 in Vienna ) was an Imperial Chamberlain, Privy Council, Field Marshal and 1809 then 1824 to 1830 head of the Quartermaster General Staff ( Chief of Staff ) and holder of the Infantry Regiment No. 13

Life

Maximilian of Wimpffen came from the German - Swabian noble family of Wimpfen, he was a son of Feldmarschalleutnants Franz Georg Siegmund Barons of Wimpffen ( 1735-1816 ).

It was in 1781 at age eleven pupil of Theresa Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt, from which he was retired as a cadet flags for infantry regiment No. 9 " Count of Clerfayt " on November 1, 1786. Appointed the following year to ensign with simultaneous transfer to the Infantry Regiment No. 19 " Alvinczy " became Wimpffen in this regiment in 1788 and 1789 sub-lieutenant to first lieutenant. Maximilian of Wimpffen made ​​with the war against the Ottoman Empire (1787-1792) and suffered the assault on Belgrade on September 30, 1789, on which occasion he particularly excelled through courage and bravery, by a stone splinter a more severe injury on his left foot, which prevented him to remain with the fighting troops. In 1791 he marched with the infantry battalion Morzin in the Netherlands, where he was wounded in the Battle of Neerwinden (18 March 1793) and was taken prisoner. But when the nephew of a French general, he could achieve a rapid release and still participate in the siege of Valenciennes and the battle of Maubeuge in the same year. In 1795 he was transferred as a lieutenant commander to northern Italy and already taken a year later as a captain in the Quartermaster General Staff. He was classified first on the staff of General Beaulieu and later at Feldzeugmeister Alvinczy and participated in the meetings of Brenta (6 November 1796), Caldiero (12 November 1796) and Arcole ( 15 to 17 November 1796) part.

In the following years he was involved in the defense of Tyrol and Vorarlberg and was severely wounded in 1799 Tures. In the meantime promoted several times, he was appointed in 1805 as Colonel General Staff to the imperial headquarters and parked the Corps of Field Marshal Johann Prince of Liechtenstein. When, despite his warnings, the Battle of Austerlitz, it was decided he was given the leadership of the main column. He was severely wounded. Its use was worth it with the Maria Theresa Order. At the outbreak of the War of 1809, he was appointed adjutant general of the main army. After the defeat of the army of the Archduke Charles at Regensburg on 26 April, he was appointed Chief of the Quartermaster General Staff and promoted to major general. His achievements at Aspern on 21 and 22 May 1809 they were recognized by the Archduke with the words that have " the first foundation of the victory in the judicious dispositions and the restless use of the Chief of General Staff Major General of Wimpffen " located. Even on the battlefield him the Commander's Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa was awarded. When, after the Znojmo armistice on July 12, Karl lay back in command, also Wimpffen from his post resigned as chief of staff and took over a brigade in Bohemia.

In the following years he worked in Poland and Transylvania, commanded a division in 1813 and fought in the Battle of Leipzig. On 2 September 1813, he was promoted to field marshal lieutenant. In 1814 he was military commander in Opava. In 1815 he took part as a corps commander in the campaign in France. After the conclusion of peace he returned to Opava. In 1821 he took over the General Command in Veneto. From 1824 to 1830 he was again chief of the Quartermaster General Staff. After completing this task on October 21, 1830 promoted to field -marshal and owner of the Infantry Regiment No. 13, he was in his last years of service commanding general in Lower Austria.

1841 was the officer honorary citizen of Vienna. Had after the baron in 1844 asked for his retirement asked he was previously, in recognition of his long and distinguished service to the Imperial House of Austria, appointed on December 4, 1844 to field marshal and captain of the first Arcieren bodyguard and 5 December 1852 awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece.

He was buried on the Mount of Heroes in small Wetzdorf in Lower Austria, where a little later Radetzky found his final resting place.

Family

Maximilian of Wimpffen had a son:

• Franz Emil Lorenz ( born April 2, 1797 in Prague, † November 26, 1870 in Gorizia ), Austrian General

Coat of arms

In red on green basically an upright, silver, crowned Aries ( declared in another versions as lamb) with golden hooves and horns, with the front feet a golden cross -supporting. The same is repeated on the winning helmets where he umhängten between two golden Blätteren, red buffalo horns grows up. The helmet covers are red and silver. *

Tributes

In Vienna reminds him Wimpffengasse in the district of Aspern in the 22nd district of Vienna Danube city.